doxoINSIGHTS » Wisconsin » Wisconsin cities with highest and lowest 2023 household expenses

2023 Report: Cities in Wisconsin where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest

Wisconsin

How does living in the Badger state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Wisconsin’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Wisconsin, doxo’s data reveals, pays $1,977 in bills per month.

doxo’s data also has infographics for 90 cities and towns across Wisconsin, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Wisconsin and how it changes according to location.

The data sheds light on Wisconsin’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.

Wisconsin residents pay $1,977 in household bills a month

The average Wisconsin household pays $1,977 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.

Wisconsin residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 26th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Georgia ranks 25th, with annual monthly expenses of $2,004, and Idaho ranks 27th, at $1,938.

Wisconsin’s household expenses, on average, are 3.4% lower than the national average of $2,046.

Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Wisconsin households spend 37% of their income on household bills.

Annually, Wisconsin residents pay $54 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Wisconsin by clicking on the infographic link below.

Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Wisconsin

  • Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,977 per month
  • State Bill Pay Market Size: $54 billion
  • doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 26 out of 50
  • Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 37%
  • Difference from the National Average: 3.4% lower

Housing bill category drives Wisconsin’s low monthly bill expenses

The average Wisconsin household pays $1,977 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent and mortgage expenses drive savings, with both being considerably lower than the national average. The average mortgage payment in Wisconsin is $1,263, and average rent is $936, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191.

Other than housing-related expenses, auto loan bills are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for residents of Wisconsin. Still, these expenses are lower than the national average. The average auto loan bill in Wisconsin is $464 a month, compared to the national average of $467.

Compared to the national average, utilities are a notably higher expense for residents of Wisconsin. The average household in the state pays $356 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $351.

Life insurance, by contrast, is more affordable in Wisconsin. While US residents on average spend $89 per month on life insurance, in Wisconsin they spend just $85.

Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.

Average Wisconsin Household Bill Spending

Bill CategoryAverage Wisconsin Monthly BillNational Average Monthly BillWisconsin Percent +/- National Average ($2,046)
Mortgage$1,263$1,3214% lower
Rent$936$1,19121% lower
Auto Loan$464$4671% lower
Utilities$356$3511% higher
Auto Insurance$217$2075% higher
Cable & Internet$117$1181% lower
Health Insurance$124$1203% higher
Mobile Phone$117$1192% lower
Alarm & Security$98$8417% higher
Life Insurance$85$894% lower
Total$1,977$2,0463.4% lower

Waunakee tops the list of most expensive cities for Wisconsin’s household bills

Residents of Waunakee pay the highest household bills in the state of Wisconsin, at an average of $2,729 per month. Verona comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,726 on average per month.

In proportion to household income, however, Waunakee’s bills are similar to the ones in Verona. While Waunakee’s monthly bill basket makes up 32% of average household income there, Verona’s bill basket accounts for 31% of average household income in that area.

Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.

10 Most Expensive Wisconsin Cities for Household Bills

Rank
(1-10 out of 90)
CityMonthly Bill Expenses Per Household*Percent of Household Income Used for Bills
1Waunakee$2,72932%
2Verona$2,72631%
3Sun Prairie$2,71039%
4Oregon$2,58833%
5Middleton$2,55737%
6Brookfield$2,41327%
7Franklin$2,40935%
8Hudson$2,39428%
9Madison$2,38743%
10Oak Creek$2,36638%

*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).

Antigo is the most affordable Wisconsin city for household bills

Out of 90 cities and towns, Antigo is the most affordable place in Wisconsin, with residents paying $1,504 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 35% of local income in Antigo.

Manitowoc comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Wisconsin, with residents paying $1,518 per month on average.

Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Wisconsin are Marinette ($1,519 per month), Wisconsin Rapids ($1,546 per month), and Two Rivers ($1,574 per month).

10 Most Affordable Wisconsin Cities for Household Bills

Rank
(81-90 out of 90)
CityMonthly Bill Expenses Per HouseholdPercent of Household Income Used for Bills
81Merrill $1,65533%
82Monroe$1,65434%
83Sparta$1,60432%
84Marshfield$1,59833%
85Waupaca$1,59332%
86Two Rivers$1,57436%
87Wisconsin Rapids$1,54634%
88Marinette$1,51935%
89Manitowoc$1,51833%
90Antigo$1,50435%

Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Wisconsin’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.